While the uncertainty created by the UK’s impending EU exit is likely to dent homebuyer confidence in the months to come to some extent, I reckon the risks facing the likes of Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW) are more than baked-in at current prices.
For 2017 the business is expected to record a 4% earnings rise, underlining the City’s confidence that house-buyer appetite is not about to fall off a cliff thanks to supportive lending criteria. And a chronic shortage of housing stock should also support Taylor Wimpey’s top line. A subsequent P/E ratio of 9.5 times should encourage even the most cautious of stock investors, in my opinion.
And as well as carrying promising growth potential, Taylor Wimpey’s huge cash reserves are also anticipated to drive the dividend to 13.8p per share this year, propelling the yield to 7.9%.
Trading updates across the sector have remained encouraging in recent weeks, Taylor Wimpey itself commenting last month that it “continued to see good demand and solid trading into the second half of the year.” I reckon the possible rewards outweigh the risks facing the country’s housebuilders at the present time.
A smoking pick
I also believe cigarette maker British American Tobacco (LSE: BATS) represents decent bang for both growth and income chasers.
Sure, a recent share price surge has taken some of the gloss from the Pall Mall and Lucky Strike maker’s investment case. But a predicted 16% earnings rise in 2017 results in a P/E ratio of 17.5 times. That’s great value in my opinion given the rising popularity of the firm’s brands across the globe, not to mention the brilliant growth opportunities afforded by its entry into the e-cigarette market.
Besides, British American Tobacco carries dividend yields that trump those of many of Britain’s quoted big-caps. Indeed, a predicted 182.1p per share reward this year yields a terrific 3.6%.
Value powerhouse
And for those seeking abundant dividend flows in the months and years ahead, I reckon National Grid (LSE: NG) could really fit the bill.
Electricity is something we cannot do without, after all, irrespective of broader economic pressures and thus providing the business with splendid earnings visibility. And with inflation back on the rise in the UK, National Grid could prove one of the more lucrative income picks out there — the company has vowed to “maintain the policy of increasing dividend per share by at least RPI for the foreseeable future.”
The City expects National Grid to lift the dividend to 44.4p per share in the period to March 2017, creating a monster 4.6% yield, and to 45.6p the following year, nudging the yield to 4.8%.
And National Grid is a great value pick for growth investors too. Despite predictions of a 1% earnings slide in the current period, the business still deals on a P/E ratio of just 15 times. And a predicted 3% rebound in fiscal 2018, a result which the City expects to mark the start of a sustained upward charge, drives the reading to just 14.6 times.
